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[Lisaa]

Hi everyone!

I'm super excited because we're leaving for dlp tomorrow! I actually wasn't sure about writing a trip report. I'm an eighteen year old Dutch girl and although I have absolutely no problem speaking English (I work at Starbucks at the airport), writing on the other hand can be a little challenging. So sorry in advance for any mistakes!

Since joining the forum I've always loved reading trip reports the most. They really made me want  to go back to dlp, but I didn't think I would be able to go back this year. I've had several trips to dlp when a was little and for the past six years my dad and I were able to visit the magic every other year. One day I was just checking dates and price for fun (I'm sure I'm no the only one who does this.. right?) when stumbling across a really good offer. It happened to be the week after my mom's birthday, so soon I started juggling with the idea of giving her the best birthday present ever... However, I needed my dad to come with us because otherwise it would just be too pricy. My dad and I had been talking about going back to dlp since we got back from our last visit (October 2012?) but unfortunately he thought he would be too busy with work. At this point I had already set my mind on going, so with a little persuasion on my side (including a timetable which showed that he could work while being in Disney.... I hope this doesn't make me sound like a spoiled only child?) he finally decided he couldn't resist such a good offer.

All of this happened less than a month ago so I've been planning like crazy for the past few weeks. We will be staying in the Seqoia Lodge in a Golden Forest room with lake view. We've stayed Golden Forest before and we absolutely loved it so this was a no-brainer. The offer included half board meal plan plus and I've made a dinner reservation for Bistro Chez Remy and a lunch reservation for Walt's. We're hoping to eat at Annette's as well. My mom hasn't been to dlp for eleven years so we're planning on doing basically everything haha 

So I'll try and catch some sleep now, I hope you'll enjoy my trip report!

[Mileto]

Hi, Lisaa! As I am writing now, you are already enjoying time in the parks.
Hope you have great weather and super memories with your parents.

"Checking dates and prices for fun" - I make it often  . It's dangerous and in three cases resulted in real reservations. 

And don't excuse on your English, it's perfect. There are many foreigners here (me as well).

[samuelvictor]

Hope you have a fantastic time - I'm sure you will!

I definitely also play the "let's just check prices and dates for fun" game quite regularly, and every now and again find a price so good that I can't resist - this is definitely what happened with our last trip, I never thought we'd be able to afford to go at Christmas, but the offers and dates all lined up perfectly

I look forward to seeing your trip report when you get back!

And again, don't apologize for your English, it's excellent!

[DisneyRon]

Fellow Dutchy here, don't worry about your English, it's just fine.

Have a wonderful visit.

[Lisaa]

Thank you all for your lovely replies! We had great weather and although it was a little busier than expected, we still had an amazing time.. I'll hopefully be able to start writing my trip report tomorrow!

I knew I wouldn't be the only one doing that haha! And yes, it really is dangerous. Since I got back I've already found a great offer for the first week of December... Also considering early September... I think I'm going to have to get myself an AP 

[Mamaboogie]

Looking forward to reading your trip report! 

[Lisaa]

So I haven't figured out how to add photos yet so I will add them later on.

I forgot to mention in my pre-trip report that my parents don't live together and that this was our first 'family' trip ever. That's one of the reasons why this trip was so special to me

So at 8:30 my dad picked us up. After a quick stop for a mcdonalds breakfast (I know it's weird, but I just love fries for breakfast) and a smooth 5,5 hour drive we arrived at DLP at 14:00. Check-in was quick and the castmember was really nice. I had been hoping that our room would be at the 7th floor because I dreamed about seeing the castle from our room and how lucky was I that it was! We decided to head to the GF lounge because I wanted to show my mom how beautiful it was and had an ice tea. We then visited the hotel shop. Before we went I had wanted to make us all disney shirts but my dad kept on saying that he wasn't going to wear it. He had been laughing at my mom's disney shirt and my plan to buy ears. Guess who bought himself three disney shirts so he could wear a different one every day?

We then FINALLY headed to the parks. My dad accidentally left his pocket knife in his backpack so while he brought it back to the hotel, my mom and I went to city hall. Although my mom has a severe chronic illness I was a bit worried about this part after reading all the horrible stories about city hall. I must say that at first the lady wasn't nice indeed. It was till after she went to check what my mom's disease was that she started acting super kind and explaining everything. The green card we got really was a blessing and saved the whole trip. At first we were a little hesitant to use it and it just felt strange because the first day my mom wasn't in a wheelchair. Soon we agreed that the green card was the most positive thing about my mom being sick 

With the green card in our pocket I was dying to go on a ride, but since my dad hadn't returned yet I decided to buy myself the minnie ears. I went into the Plaza West Boutique to get them. There I came across the lovely cast member Maria Grazia. She asked my where I was from and when I told her that I was from nearby Amsterdam she tried to speak Dutch. Turns out she is trying to learn the basics of a lot of languages (she actually mixed up German and Dutch a bit), which I find great and I am now trying to do for my job at the airport. After a nice chat about Amsterdam we said goobye and I met up with my mom and dad. We headed to the WDS quickly to do some rides before our 17:00 reservation at Chez Remy. First ride was the Ratatouille ride and to be honest we all weren't that impressed by it (we later found out that we missed a whole part because the ride stopped in the middle). After that we went to the parachute drop. We had some trouble over there with my mom's green card because the castmember had forgotten to fill in something. The amazing castmember Fabien called city hall immediately and they came straight up to fix it. After the ride we were just in time for dinner. The decor of Chez Remy was beyond anything I had imagined. Pictures just can't show the beauty of it. We did have to wait quite long for them to take our order (it took about 20 minutes to order just our drinks) while the restaurant was almost empty. Foodwise it was good. The starter only bothered me because I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. The main course on the other hand was great. I had the fish and oh that beurre blanc combined with the mashed potatoes was just heaven. The ratatouille was also nice but the fish was a little bit on the dry side. My mom and dad both enjoyed their steaks, but the fries weren't the best (I also tried them). Portions were huge so I didn't finish my dessert although I enjoyed it very much. Me and my mom had ordered the chocolate mousse and my dad had the tiramisu. I tried the tiramisu as well and I just couldn't decide which dessert I liked best haha. (note: I'm a foodblogger so I tend to be a little too critical when it comes to food)

After dinner we were guided out of the WDS by a castmember (again he was really friendly) and I loved seeing the studios so empty. I actually forgot to take pictures because I was enjoying the atmosphere so much  We went to the main park and rode our favorite ride: BUZZ. After that it was IASM and then it was time for my first EVER ride one POTC. I'm actually kind of embarrassed about this one, but since I've been afraid of dolls in dark rides for as long as I can remember I had been too scared to go on it before (I believe I was traumatized as a kid by a ride in the Dutch amusement park Efteling. The ride is called Fata Morgana and when I went on it this March I nearly cried..). When we walked into pirates I immediately understood what all of you mean by 'the smell', it indeed is super nice. I also enjoyed the ride itself. The drops were a nice surprise and I loved all the scenes in the ride except the one in the 'pirate village' which did scare me a bit.

Since I had overcome my fear of POTC, I decided my mom should do the same with BTM. So we rode it and surprisingly she loved it! The only thing putting her off from going again was that it made her a bit nauseous. We hit the shops to get my dad a shirt for day 2 and I bought myself a cute minnie pen to go in my selfmade trip guide. It was now 21:30 already and we were all super tired. I had planned on watching dreams, but we knew we wouldn't make it till closing time and had to be wise. We said goodbye to the castle for today and went back to the hotel. The hotel shop had an offer on olaf pluchies (the really big ones) and my dad surprised me by getting me one, although he still doesn't understand who olaf is and what frozen is about. We had drinks in the GF lounge and since I had read so many good things about the glowtini's on this forum I just had to try one myself. It didn't disappoint 

We ended our day by watching dreams from our room (I tried to synchronize the music on my phone with the castle but since they changed the show for frozen summer fun it didn't work out anymore after a few scenes) with some crisps and I fell asleep with olaf in my arms.

[DisneyRon]

Lovely first entry. Sounds like you're off to a good start.
Have a wonderful time Lisaa.

About the Fata Morgana trauma, I assume a certain giant is the cause?
He's a rather freaky fellow, and I've seen enough young kids burst into tears at the sight of him.

[BlackPearl]

Great start of your journey! Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad you enjoyed PotC, I think it's one of the best-themed rides in Disneyland.

[andrewuk]

Lovely start, can't wait to read the rest! 

[Lisaa]

Lovely first entry. Sounds like you're off to a good start.
Have a wonderful time Lisaa.

About the Fata Morgana trauma, I assume a certain giant is the cause?
He's a rather freaky fellow, and I've seen enough young kids burst into tears at the sight of him.

haha yes that's exactly the case! Also, the men shouting at you don't help..

Great start of your journey! Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad you enjoyed PotC, I think it's one of the best-themed rides in Disneyland.

I agree! It's beautiful and although I like the pirates movies I hope bringing Jack Sparrow in won't ruin the experience!

[Lisaa]

So I finally found some time to write day 2! I'm sorry it's really text heavy...

After a short night I woke up feeling a bit tired ( I guess I was still too excited about being in Disney haha). Luckily breakfast in the GFL helped me wake up quickly. Two years ago breakfast wasn't that special. Sure there were characters, but I always feel a bit weird when they come around while I'm eating. This time the food was just great! I especially enjoyed the pancakes and my mum and dad were really happy with their scrambled eggs and bacon.

We were in the parks at 8:30 and our first stop was the wheelchair rental. This took a little  longer than expected, so we were happy to go on our first ride of the day. Pinocchio it was! After that it was time for Dumbo and a round on the teacups. We decided to head to the studios because I really wanted to go on Crush and TOT. Unfortunately both had long queues and I forgot about our hotel fastpasses. We did ride RC Racer (too bad it's so short) and RNRC.  We checked for Crush again but agreed on trying to ride it the next morning. Before leaving the studios we hit the shops and I bought myself a cute Belle keychain and my mom got herself an olaf one.

By this time I was feeling pretty hungry and I wanted to go to Colonel Haithi's because I love the theming inside. My dad on the other hand was eager to try a Casey's hotdog. Winnie the Pooh was just doing meet and greets outside Casey's and I loved watching him since he is my favorite character. While my dad was finishing his hotdog, I decided to wheel my mom around to got to Colonel Haithi's. We actually got a bit lost because the Alladin Passage was closed, but we didn't mind. I mean, who doesn't love to walk around dlp? We finally found Colonel Haithi and although the pizza wasn't great I loved the garlic bread!

After lunch my dad and I went on BTM again. Since we were close to Phantom Manor, my mom decided that we should give it a try. I don't like haunted houses or anything (again, the dolls haha) so I had never been on PM. When you enter through the disability entrance you get to choose if you want to see the 'special effect rooms'  before you enter the doombuggies. I was happy to skip that part so straight on to the doombuggies. I was surprised by how well themed this ride is! I was a bit scared by some things, but I'll definitely go on it next time.  Since we were close to the new frozen area we checked that out next. There was a huge line for the frozen show (I was surprised to see that so many people fit into the  theater) and while I was still trying to explain frozen to my dad,  my mom and I agreed that a whole frozen show might be a bit much. Instead we just wandered around the market place an bought ourselves some frozen snacks. I had never been to this corner of the park and the only thing I could think was WOW. The whole atmosphere was amazing and I really felt like I was walking around Arendelle. Such a shame it isn't bigger. I hope they will keep this after September and maybe even expand it?

While still feeling some of the frozen magic my mom and I headed to the shop inside the castle to buy a Christmas ornament. We had be saving up for this so we bought a beautiful one with a sparkly castle (will definitely upload a picture when I know how) and I secretly bought an olaf one to surprise her. I opted to get it all delivered to the SL and that was no problem at all. Next thing was a ride on Snow white. I wonder why kids love this ride? It's scary :0 I knew that at some point the old hag would pop up so I had my eyes pretty much closed for almost the whole ride but I still kind of enjoyed it haha. I had never been on Les payes des contes de fees and Casey Jr. so we rode both. My mom and dad were hesitant to go on them (because obviously they're made for little kids) but we all liked them. The music on Casey Jr. made me so happy! Then it was time again for Buzz!

All the walking had made us a bit thirsty so off to the GFL. We arrived just before 16:00 and snacks already started to come out. This was actually the only time I saw the lounge a bit busier and oh my people are shameless!  As soon as the snackbuffet was open, people started to fill up their plates like they hadn't eaten the whole day. My mom and I waited till the first rush was over but as soon as we sat down with our plates people were already up for a second round. A woman even grabbed te whole bunch of grapes so I didn't even had the chance to try some. The castmembers did a great job again. The castmember who served our drinks even remembered that my mom likes her ice tea without ice! He also didn't even blink when a woman walked in and told him that she wanted to take some snacks to go (yes she grabbed A LOT of snacks). I mean I get that you've paid for it, but I would still feel a bit embarrassed. That said, the snacks themselves were quite tasty. I still dream about the caramel profiterole things (not sure what they were exactly, but they were delish!)

After snacks we rushed back into the parks to see the parade. We had a great spot in the disability area on the right side of the castle. I had never seen the parade from such a nice spot and I loved every second of it! The character interaction was lovely and all the performers were giving their best. We were near the entrance of fantasyland so after the parade we walked through my favorite land to get to Indiana Jones. On the way we bumped into Captain Hook and Smee. The last ride we did was Buzz again and then it was off to dinner. I had always wanted to eat at Annette's so we got to the village. We were seated upstairs and quickly ordered some lemonade cokes. Dinner was yummy! I tried the fishburger but the actual star of the meal was dessert!  Not sure what was actually in it but Ben and Jerry icecream is always great.

At this point it was still too early to wait for dreams, but my lack of sleep finally took its toll so I didn't feel like doing some more rides. My mom and I paid a visit to some of the stores while my dad got back to the hotel to do some work. After that we grabbed some tea to go from the lounge and off we were for dreams. Last time my dad and I missed dreams because we had dinner at Planet Hollywood quite late. This time I was determined to see it! We were there about 40 minutes before it started and it was already packed. This was the only time the disability area let us down a bit. We had already turned in my mom's wheelchair before dinner because I had expected there to be enough benches. Maybe I was stupid but there were only a few benches which of course were already full. I luckily did manage to get my mom a small place where she could kind of sit on the railing. Again we were all wowed by the castmembers. It was sad to see how many people tried to sneek into the disability area. The castmembers were clearly used to it and were right on it. One man (with a pushchair ) tried to get in, was sent away and then went in and called someone so he pretended not to hear the castmember and another even got a bit aggressive because the castmember refused to let him into the VIP area (the one in front of the castle) or the disability area. Out of nowhere a lot of security  and other castmembers showed up and eventually the man and his family were led out of the crowd. Big applause to Disney for this! (Might not be the neatest thing to say but for us this really made the waiting a bit less boring.) 

Then it was FINALLY time for dreams. Words cannot describe the beauty of it. My mom and dad had been a bit sceptic about the show and weren't convinced it was worth staying up late for. Yes they were really wrong. We were all just mesmerized and I even teared up a bit at the beginning of the Tangled scene. On the other hand, I wasn't too bothered by the frozen scene. I like frozen but it was a bit of a letdown compared to the other scenes. It just wasn't as spectacular as the rest of dreams. However it was still beautiful. It's hard to write something about dreams because I don't know how to describe it. Bet I'm not the only one who feels this way!

After dreams we again had a quick stop at the hotel shop to pick up our Christmas ornaments and then it was time to sleep.

[msRavenswood]

Lovely trip report so far! I'm happy you had such a wonderful time! 

[musicaljojo]

Sounds lovely and wow they have Christmas ornaments out already?!

[Disneyprincesswannab]

The castle shop has Xmas decorations for sale all year round.